


An Unexpected Fauntling

by Chef_Geekier



Series: Finding Home [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Gen, Kid Fic, bb!bilbo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-27 14:35:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1714154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chef_Geekier/pseuds/Chef_Geekier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the company is turned away by the hobbit living in Bag End, they are shocked to find a hobbit child who wants to come with them. Despite Gandalf’s misgivings about taking an orphaned Bilbo Baggins on the road, the dwarrows fail to see the problem. After all, plenty of dwarf children grew up on the road, and it’s better than leaving him homeless. Along the way Bilbo worms his way into the hearts of everyone, but particularly into ‘Uncle’ Thorin’s.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unexpected Fauntling

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks first to The Boyfriend for beta-reading at the last minute.
> 
> This started as a fill for the Hobbit Kink Meme, and grew from there. I will be continuing to cover the next two movies, but will have a bit of a break first.
> 
> Finally, thanks to all of my artists. Such adorableness came out of this, I'm still squealing in delight.

“Well, that could have gone better.”  
  
Thorin fought to not roll his eyes at Fili's comment as it was something they were all thinking. The thirteen dwarrows and one wizard were filing out of some hobbit's house – Bag End, he thought Gandalf had called it – and into the night after being thrown out by the owner.  
  
“I don't understand it,” Gandalf was muttering next to Thorin. “I thought Belladonna and Bungo lived here. They would have come along. Well, Belladonna would have leapt at the chance to have another adventure, I'm sure, and Bungo would have come along to make sure she got home safely. Why did no one tell me of their deaths?”  
  
Thorin had no answer. Around them the other dwarrows were trying to keep their spirits up. They were heading towards their ponies, tied along the fence, when someone let out a surprised sound. Thorin glanced over, and almost missed the cause of the surprise.  
  
Perched on top of the pack-pony, and nibbling on a piece of cram, was the smallest child Thorin had seen in many years. He stared as the babe looked around at them all, and wondered briefly if it was an elfling. It certainly had the ears. Then he took note of the child's feet and realised it must be a hobbit.  
  
“Well hello there,” Gandalf said jovially, clearly entertained by a child stealing their food. “And who might you be?”  
  
The child was silent for a few moments, staring back at Gandalf, before it swallowed its mouthful of food.  
  
“Bilbo Baggins.”  
  
“Where are your parents, child?” Dori asked then, more used to dealing with children than most of the rest of the company thanks to raising Ori and, to a lesser extent, Nori.  
  
“Gone,” Bilbo whispered, looking down at his hands. Thorin felt a pang of sadness. He'd had to see far too many orphaned children during their long pilgrimage, and even though this child wasn't a dwarf he could still sympathise.  
  
“Oh dear. Where's your home then?” Balin took over. They'd have to see the babe to it's home. Even a peaceful place such as the Shire could prove dangerous for a child after nightfall.  
  
The babe, however, glanced up at Bag End and looked like he might cry for a moment, before looking back at Balin.  
  
“Gone.”  
  
Balin frowned, and Thorin could see the motion echoed on many other faces.  
  
“Then... where do you live? Do you have somewhere to sleep?”  
  
Despite Balin's apparent hopes though, Thorin was growing uneasy. The child – Bilbo – was filthy, and thinner than the hobbit children he'd seen during the day. He was clearly desperate enough to climb up onto a stranger's pony to steal food. Thorin had seen dwarf children like this during the long road from Erebor, orphaned by the dragon or other misfortunes, before they'd found other families to take them in. It was obvious, to him at least, that Bilbo was living on the streets.  
  
The child was staring at his hands again, lower lip trembling, and Balin seemed to realise that he wasn't getting an answer. Gandalf stepped forward and looked at Bilbo with sad eyes. Thorin was fairly sure that the wizard had come to the same conclusion he had.  
  
“Bilbo. Is there no where we can take you?”  
  
Thorin was expecting silence, or a denial. What he didn't expect was for the tiny hobbit to nod his head and look hopeful.  
  
“I heard what you said before,” Bilbo said. “I can be sneaky, and I'm tiny so no one sees me. I can be a thief for you! Take me with you!”  
  
“No,” Gandalf shook his head immediately. “The road is no place for a child.”  
  
That was that, Thorin supposed, although he had to admit that he'd been tempted. At least the child was eager to go with them. Of course, he'd underestimated his nephews.  
  
“We grew up on the road,” Kili spoke up, “and we turned out fine!”  
  
Everyone turned to look at Kili, who seemed to realise that he might not be the best example. Thankfully Fili intervened.  
  
“Ori grew up partially on the road and he turned out fine.”  
  
That was a much better example, even though Ori flushed under the sudden attention.  
  
“I promise I'll be good,” Bilbo piped up again, eyes wide and pleading. “I heard what you were saying about a dragon and treasure and stuff, and how your home was gone. Please take me with you!”  
  
“Well,” Thorin started, considering, “you certainly are small. However we need someone to sneak past a dragon, to steal something from right under his nose. You're far too young for that.” He paused and watched as the tiny hobbit's eyes teared up. With a sigh, he turned to Nori. “We go with the other plan. Nori, you're up as company thief. Kid...”  
  
The child stared at Thorin, who held his gaze for several seconds before shrugging. Reaching up he pulled Bilbo down into his arms and settled him on his hip, much as he'd held both Fili and Kili when they'd been young.  
  
“Bilbo. The road will be long, and you'll be cold and hungry before the end I'll wager. But if you're a good boy, and help when you can... Well, I'm sure we can find you a new home when Erebor is ours again.”  
  
A smile split the child's face, and he threw his arms around Thorin's neck. The dwarf let out a chuckle, and nodded at the rest of his company. There didn't seem to be any other complaints. Instead they all went back to their own ponies, getting ready to ride out.  
  
“Do you have anything you need to get before we leave?” Thorin asked. Bilbo shook his head, still clinging to Thorin's neck.  
  
“Don't have anything. Just what's in my pockets.”  
  
“All right then. We'll get you some more fitting clothes when we pass through Bree.”  
  
  
  
((Done by slbarts at Tumblr: <http://slbarts.tumblr.com/post/87159023909/this-was-made-for-the-hobbit-big-bang-for-the>))  
  
***  
  
Over the next several days, Thorin watched Bilbo carefully. After all, hobbits were made of weaker stuff than dwarf children. His concerns seemed largely unfounded though, and the fauntling – as Gandalf had explained young hobbits were called – seemed to fit right in with the company.  
  
That first night, Bilbo had ridden with Thorin. Well, in a sense. He'd mostly just curled up in front of Thorin, nestled into the dwarf's fur coat, and slept. When he woke Thorin gave him some cram and water, then he went back to sleep.  
  
They stayed in Bree for the next two nights, making sure they had all the supplies they needed. Thorin couldn't contain the laughter as he watched Dwalin start to give Bilbo some fighting lessons, the warrior having argued that the littlest member of the company shouldn't be helpless. The fact that he was giving Ori, Fili and Kili the same lessons just added to the humour of the situation.  
  
In between the fighting, Ori tended to whisk the little hobbit away. It took a little while to realise where they were going and what they were doing – but then the pair pulled out slingshots in the middle of a training session with Dwalin and proceeded to pelt him with stones. Bilbo was actually scarily accurate with his aim, and from then on his weapons training focussed more on long-distance.  
  
Kili was delighted to have someone to teach archery to. He'd even bought a training bow for the fauntling.  
  
“Kili,” Thorin shook his head, “he can't pull the string back yet. He doesn't have the arm strength of a dwarfling.”  
  
“I know,” Kili muttered, toeing at the ground and looking like a petulant teen again. “I just... he'll grow into it. Especially if I start training him now. It'll take a while to get to Erebor, I can teach him along the way...”  
  
Thorin eyed his nephew for a few moments, then sighed and shook his head.  
  
“Very well. Just don't be disappointed if it takes a while for him to be able to draw the bow, all right?”  
  
“Thank you uncle!” Kili grinned before running off, scooping up Bilbo from where he'd been reading and throwing the fauntling over his shoulder. Bilbo's squeals of delight were almost drowned out by Kili's laughter, and Thorin himself felt lighter than he had in years as he watched his nephews start a game of 'keep the hobbit away from the others' which gradually encompassed Ori, Bofur, Bifur, and surprisingly Nori and Dori.  
  
The game ended when Nori threw Bilbo to Dori, who swung the fauntling up to sit on his shoulders, and headed to the dining area of the inn to feed the company's child.  
  
It had quickly become apparent that Dori took great delight in mother-henning Bilbo, who in turn lapped up the attention. Nori was also rather protective, though a glance at how both Ri brothers treated Ori showed that they were just staying true to form. It didn't hurt that Bilbo was indeed small and sneaky, which Nori only encouraged by teaching him how to pick both locks and pockets. The fauntling was reluctant to actually steal from people, but eager to learn anything he could.  
  
As a result when they all settled in for the night, both in Bree and when they started out on the road again, Bilbo could often be found with either Balin or Oin, soaking up the knowledge they were happy to impart. Oin taught Bilbo some first aid and how to diagnose different illnesses, and entertained him with stories from his long life as a healer. Balin taught the young hobbit about history, dwarf society, and some politics – all of which Ori would also listen to. Occasionally Thorin managed to wrangle Fili and Kili in place long enough to listen to some lessons, but he wasn't exactly optimistic about how much the boys retained. In return, Bilbo would tell the older dwarrows what he knew of hobbit history and general plant life, something that dwarrows in general didn't have much knowledge of.  
  
At first Thorin had wondered if maybe Fili would be jealous of all the attention Kili gave their fauntling. After all, the brothers had been each others' worlds since Kili was born. He needn't have worried. During the day Bilbo often rode with Fili when he wasn't with Thorin, Kili right next to them, and the three would chatter away the miles. Fili was just as outgoing as Kili, but he was also a little calmer, able to tell when their teasing was starting to push the boundaries of what Bilbo could take. He was always careful to make sure that Bilbo kept smiling. Thorin supposed that was what came from looking after his little brother for so long.  
  
All of the dwarrows had wondered for a while if Bilbo would be scared of Bifur, given the axe in his head. The toymaker, however, had known exactly how to calm a child and would frequently produce carved figures for Bilbo to play with. As a result, Bilbo often retreated to Bifur's company whenever the rest got too rowdy for him. He would also listen with wide eyes as Bofur spun increasingly over the top stories for him. The favourites seemed to be about adventures similar to the one they were on, where a few brave souls went against great odds to defeat their evil enemy.  
  
No one was in the least surprised to find that Bilbo was attached to Bombur and Gloin. The company cook was always slipping Bilbo bits of food when he was preparing meals, and even between them. Gloin spoiled the boy just as much, clearly missing his own son and using Bilbo as a replacement. It wasn't like it was a hardship for anyone though, so Thorin was happy to let the entire company dote on their hobbit. He may have eaten more often than the rest of the company, but he ate less overall than another adult member would have, so their stocks weren't endangered by his presence. If anything, they were able to pack more given his preference for riding with one of the dwarves over riding his own pony.  
  
Now if only Gandalf would shut up about Rivendell, Thorin would actually be finding the journey rather pleasant.  
  
  
  
  
((Done by Caylren at Tumblr: <http://caylren.tumblr.com/post/87177609052/my-another-entry-for-the-hobbit-big-bang-this-is>))

 

  
  
  
((Done by [](http://nikonikolicious.livejournal.com/profile)[**nikonikolicious**](http://nikonikolicious.livejournal.com/) at Tumblr: <http://nikorys.tumblr.com/post/87372476569>))  
  
***  
  
Thorin glared from where he was bound, forced to watch as those damned trolls started to roast his company. Trust Kili to get spotted trying to steal back their ponies. Sometimes Thorin really did wonder if his nephew was all there in the head.  
  
The only bright side he could see was that little Bilbo wasn't there. He'd made the fauntling promise to stay at the camp with Oin and Ori. At least those three were safe.  
  
“Ow!” One of the trolls flinched, slapping a hand to the side of his head. “Something stung me!”  
  
...So much for the others being safe.  
  
Thorin watched as the trolls were pelted with stones, the directions constantly changing. He could only occasionally catch a glimpse of a tiny hobbit running from bush to bush, and Ori ducking around trees. While the trolls were distracted trying to find the 'bugs' that were biting them, Oin was crouched behind the pile of dwarves in sacks, untying them out of sight of the trolls and muttering to himself.  
  
As soon as Thorin was able, he sprung back to his feet. He had to protect the hobbit!  
  
This time they fought smarter, and with long-distance support – Oin had brought along Kili's bow and quiver, and the archer quickly fell back to keep between the trolls and Bilbo – it was easier to cripple and kill the trolls. As soon as the final troll fell, Thorin was tackled by a tiny hobbit who clung to his leg.  
  
“What were you thinking?” Thorin demanded, glaring at Ori and Oin as he picked up Bilbo. He hugged the fauntling close, reassuring himself that he was unharmed. “You could have gotten the lad killed!”  
  
Oin didn't look even slightly impressed. He'd been a healer for too long to pay any attention to royalty. Ori looked upset, which meant that Nori and Dori were both throwing him death-glares. Then a tiny fist made contact with his shoulder, and Thorin realised he was squeezing Bilbo too tightly.  
  
“Wasn't their fault!” Bilbo piped up as soon as he could breathe again. “Oin told me to stay at camp, but I came anyway! I didn't want you or anyone getting hurt!” He took a few gulps, then his lower lip started to tremble, and Thorin inwardly winced. He hated dealing with crying children. Scrap that, crying _anyone._  
  
“Was I bad?” The hobbit whispered, looking on the verge of crying. “Does this... are you gonna send me away?”  
  
“Of course not,” Kili broke in then, deftly snatching Bilbo from out of Thorin's arms. “You're our little hobbit, and no one's going to take you away from us!”  
  
“Exactly,” Fili joined in. Between them, the boys quickly brought a smile back to Bilbo's face as they took it in turns to cuddle and tickle him. Thorin watched for a moment, as the first rays of sun crept into the clearing, and couldn't keep the smile from his face. Fili and Kili were right – Bilbo was one of them. Anyone who tried to take him away would find themselves up against thirteen angry dwarrows.  
  
“Bilbo,” Thorin finally spoke, crouching down to where the fauntling was sitting between the princes, “I'm not going to send you away. You belong with us now, I promise. But,” he fixed Bilbo with a stern look, “from now on when one of us tells you to do something, you have to do it. Whether that's staying somewhere, or hiding, or whatever. You have to promise to do what we say. We might not always be able to protect you if you run head first into danger. Do you understand?”  
  
Bilbo nodded, looking contrite.  
  
“Sorry Uncle Thorin.”  
  
Thorin blinked, then eyed his nephews suspiciously. They, however, seemed just as surprised as he was, if rather more amused. Bilbo seemed to realise what he'd said and clapped his hands over his mouth, eyes going wide.  
  
“It's okay,” Thorin chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Bilbo's hair. “If that's what you want, then I'll be your uncle.”  
  
The little hobbit's face was as red as a tomato, clearly embarrassed about his slip, but Fili and Kili took it well – Kili picked Bilbo up again and squeezed him in a tight hug.  
  
“I always wanted a little cousin!” He exclaimed. “Hey, Fili! I'm not the youngest in the family any more!”  
  
Thorin rolled his eyes as his nephews started bickering light-heartedly, Fili maintaining that Kili was still the youngest mentally. He stood and made his way over to where the rest of the company – now with Gandalf, who had as usual been missing right when he was needed most – were investigating the trolls' horde.  
  
In the end it wasn't a complete bust. Thorin came out of it with a quite impressive new sword. After poking around for a bit, he also found what was likely a dagger to an elf. For a hobbit child, however, it would serve well as a sword. At least until they reclaimed Erebor and he could fashion a proper, dwarvish sword for the lad.  
  
After all, Bilbo already looked much like an elf child. If he actually started to act like one of those damned weed-eaters, Thorin may have to hit something.  
  
  
  
  
((Done by Mius at Tumblr: <http://miusart.tumblr.com/post/87200826273>))

 

  
((Done by [](http://nikonikolicious.livejournal.com/profile)[**nikonikolicious**](http://nikonikolicious.livejournal.com/) at Tumblr: <http://nikorys.tumblr.com/post/87372476569>))  
  
***  
  
Thorin and several other dwarrows were amazed at how well Bilbo had adapted to life on the road. The fauntling was curious about the world around him, but listened to the older dwarrows and obeyed their instructions on how to stay safe. Especially after the troll incident, Bilbo was careful to be on his best behaviour.  
  
They should have known that it wouldn't last.  
  
They were getting closer to Rivendell every day, even though Thorin was insistent on going around it. He was woken up one morning by the sound of Fili arguing with Bilbo – a rare enough occurrence to begin with.  
  
“Don't wanna,” the hobbit was telling Fili determinedly.  
  
“Come on Bilbo,” Fili tried cajoling him. “Help me find some more firewood and then we can have a story before breakfast.”  
  
“No!” Bilbo said loudly. Thorin opened his eyes to look at the boys.  
  
Fili was squatting to be more on Bilbo's level, as opposed to towering over him or picking him up. He'd evidently listened to Dori's tales of dealing with a young Ori, and was speaking as calmly as possible, but Thorin could tell that his nephew was starting to run out of patience.  
  
Bilbo, on the other hand, was sitting on the ground, legs and arms crossed, half-turned away from Fili. The pout he was sporting reminded Thorin of when his nephews had been young and about to throw a tantrum of epic proportions. He also looked a little flushed, probably from arguing.  
  
“Fine,” Fili seemed to give up. “I'll go fetch the wood by myself. That means no story though.”  
  
Thorin, and apparently Fili, thought that would bring the fauntling back in line. Bilbo loved stories. To their surprise though, Bilbo had other ideas and crawled back into his bed roll, pulling the blanket up over his head. The odd sniffling sound emerged, but it didn't sound like he was crying, so Fili shrugged and headed off.  
  
As the camp came to life, Thorin noticed that Bilbo stayed curled up under his covers. Thinking that the boy was sulking he paid him no attention and got on with his morning tasks.  
  
It wasn't until breakfast was ready that the dwarrows started to grow concerned. Usually Bilbo would be right next to whoever was cooking, being slipped small morsels during the preparation and sometimes helping. Today, however, he was still in bed.  
  
When everyone had been served and there was still no sign of Bilbo emerging, Thorin waved Ori towards the fauntling. Gentleness and sensitivity were called for when dealing with a child in a snit, and Thorin was dwarf enough to admit his own shortcomings in these areas.  
  
He was still going to listen in, of course.  
  
“Bilbo?” Ori spoke softly, gently prying back the blankets. “Do you want to come out and get some breakfast? It's all ready for you.”  
  
There was silence for a moment, before Ori fell back with a confused sound.  
  
“Um, Dori?” The young dwarf called, looking around in confusion. “He's leaking. Is he supposed to do that?”  
  
Thorin was by his side before he finished speaking, crouching down to check on the little hobbit. Ori was right, his nose was running and his eyes, open just a slit, were watery. As gently as he could, Thorin picked up Bilbo and cradled him against his chest, brushing against his forehead as he went.  
  
“He feels warm,” the king rumbled, “but that could just be from hiding under the blankets.”  
  
Bilbo, meanwhile, tried to cuddle further into Thorin's chest. He sniffled again, and Thorin ignored the fact that his coat was going to get filthy. After all, he'd taken care of Fili and Kili often enough when they were sick as children. He was used to it, though of course he didn't like that it was happening to their little hobbit.  
  
After some convincing, Bilbo uncurled enough for Oin to have a proper look at him. The fauntling kept sniffling and occasionally coughing, making the old healer frown.  
  
“We need to get some fluid into him,” Oin said. “Dangerous for such a wee thing, losing too much.”  
  
Of course, that was when Bilbo started throwing up.  
  
***  
  
Thorin cleaned himself up as best he could, while Dori carefully rocked the child in an attempt to calm him. Bilbo was almost beside himself, crying and coughing in between being sick. It was clearly rough on the tiny hobbit.  
  
“I'm not sure what it is,” Oin was saying as he tried mixing some herbs together into a soothing tea. “Never seen a dwarf babe react like that. We need to get him to keep some liquids down.”  
  
Nodding, Thorin glanced over at where Dori was singing softly. Bilbo didn't seem to be getting any calmer.  
  
“Uncle?” Kili piped up, looking very unsure of himself. “Is... well, we're only a day or two from Rivendell, right? Should we go there until Bilbo's better?”  
  
Thorin frowned as he watched Dori and Bilbo. The road was no place for a sick child. He was loathe to seek help from the elves though, after all they'd done in the past.  
  
“Lord Elrond is the best healer I know of,” Oin pointed out. “With elvish medicine, Bilbo will be back on his feet in no time.”  
  
“Break camp,” Thorin announced, mind made up. “We head for Rivendell within the hour.”  
  
***  
  
Thorin sat next to Bilbo's bed while Elrond examined him. The elf-lord had taken one look at the faunt cradled in the dwarf king's arms and had opened his gates to the dwarfs, which earned him a few points in Thorin's book.  
  
“When was the last time you were around Men?” Elrond asked softly. Thorin frowned as he thought.  
  
“We stayed in Bree about a month ago. A few days ago we stayed in an abandoned farm. Why?”  
  
“He has the flu,” Elrond shrugged as he gently patted Bilbo's head. “It's distressing, but with the correct treatment it's not fatal. We'll keep him warm and resting, with the right food and tonics, and he should be back to normal in two weeks at the outside.”  
  
A wave of relief washed over Thorin, and he nodded in gratitude. With the examination over, he took Bilbo's hand in his again as Elrond resumed speaking.  
  
“I would guess that some of your company have had a slight cough, or perhaps have been sneezing more than usual. Dwarrow are remarkably resistant to human ailments. Unfortunately children of all races are more susceptible than adults, and hobbits are more closely related to humans.” The healer paused, then turned to another elf in the room and let out a stream of quiet elvish. Thorin tried not to grumble, and waited instead for Elrond to turn back to him.  
  
“I've sent for some tonics that your company should all take. It will ensure that the illness is completely gone from you all, so he won't fall ill to it again.”  
  
Nodding again, Thorin kept his gaze on Bilbo. If it kept the fauntling healthy, he'd deal with drinking what was sure to be a horrible tasting tincture.  
  
He still wasn't sure exactly when he'd grown so protective of Bilbo. It was as though he'd started thinking of the lad as another nephew, or even his own child. As disturbing as that should have been, he didn't care. Bilbo was as precious to him as Fili and Kili.  
  
With a cough, Bilbo drew Thorin out of his musings. The little hobbit looked miserable, and Thorin wasted no time in drawing him onto his lap and into a hug. Bilbo quickly clung to his shoulders, burying his face under Thorin's hair. Out of the corner of his eye Thorin could see Elrond staring at them, and only just refrained from making a rude gesture.  
  
 _Don't piss off the healer,_ Thorin reminded himself harshly. _Bilbo's health is in his hands._  
  
***  
  
Bilbo bounced back even faster than the elves had thought, which made Thorin more than a little proud. By the time a week had passed, Bilbo was itching to be out of the bed he'd been confined to. As soon as Elrond gave him the all-clear, the fauntling was off, out the door before Elrond could turn around.  
  
Thorin just laughed. Dwalin was out in the hall – he and Bifur had been taking turns guarding the room – so it wasn't as though Bilbo would get lost. In fact he'd probably just run straight into Fili and Kili's arms. His nephews had been beside themselves the entire time Bilbo had been ill, not knowing how to handle it. As a result they'd alternated between hovering and staying away, unable to find the middle ground.  
  
Ori had been much better, reading to Bilbo whenever the fauntling couldn't sleep. It turned out that Bilbo could speak a little Sindarin, and the elves here were keen to teach him more. In response, Thorin had given Ori permission to start teaching Bilbo Khuzdul as soon as he was able to concentrate properly again. Balin had been a little taken aback, but one glance at two pairs of pleading eyes had made him cave quickly.  
  
Balin had seen the benefit once Thorin had pulled him aside and spoken to him. After all, if the hobbit was going to be living in Erebor, he needed to be able to understand what was happening around him. Besides which, Thorin was the king damnit, if he said that Bilbo could learn Khuzdul then he was going to learn it whether or not the nobles liked it. They weren't here risking their necks to reclaim their homeland.  
  
Heading back to where the rest of the dwarrows were gathered, Thorin finally took the time to really look at his surroundings. He'd been far too preoccupied with Bilbo's health to do so before. It was a beautiful place, he'd give the elves that, but he couldn't imagine living there.  
  
“It's like a painting,” he murmured. Beside him, Dwalin grunted in agreement. “It feels like nothing changes.”  
  
“Too much light and wood for my taste,” Dwalin grumbled. “There's hardly any jewels or metal anywhere.”  
  
Nodding as he stepped up to a balcony, Thorin took in the view. He could hear the sounds of dwarrows making merry, and could see his nephews walking with Bilbo between them on a lower walkway. It was good to see them back together again.  
  
“He's not a bad lad,” Dwalin muttered. “Brings out the best in those terrors of yours, too.”  
  
“They're all still young,” Thorin reminded him. “Fili's starting to understand his role, but Kili... ah, he's much like I was at that age.”  
  
“Without the pressure of being Crown Prince,” Dwalin noted. “Still, he's taken to looking after Bilbo well. There's hope for him yet.”  
  
Thorin smiled as his boys turned a corner, leaving his sight. Dwalin was right – bringing Bilbo along was possibly the best thing he could have done for Fili and Kili.  
  
***  
  
“What do you mean, he's missing?! How could he be missing?”  
  
Thorin was furious. While this wasn't exactly surprising, the person he was angry at was. Balin was generally the one scolding Thorin, not the other way around. This time, however, Thorin was willing to make an exception.  
  
Balin had lost Bilbo.  
  
“He can't have gone far,” the older dwarf tried to placate him. “We were in the library. I went to fetch some writing tools, and when I came back he was gone. I thought you or the princes might have collected him.”  
  
“It wasn't us,” Fili shook his head. “Dwalin's been running us through drills all morning. Was Ori there?”  
  
“No,” Balin shook his head. “I passed him and Dori on my way here.”  
  
“It's those blasted elves,” Thorin growled. “If they've hurt one hair on his feet I'll tear them apart myself!”  
  
With that, he stormed off towards Elrond's council chambers. Fili, Kili and Balin quickly fell in behind him, just as ready to come to their hobbit's defence.  
  
When they got there, however, they were in for a surprise. Elrond was standing, arms crossed and looking disappointed, in front of two almost identical elves. The pair were both looking at the ground and shuffling in place, in the clear pose of being scolded by a relative. By their feet sat Bilbo, nibbling on a biscuit and watching the proceedings with wide eyes.  
  
“Bilbo!” Thorin called as soon as he saw the fauntling. Bilbo looked up, then smiled and waved. Elrond looked over, an expression of relief crossing his face.  
  
“Good, you're here,” Elrond started. “Boys, apologise.”  
  
The younger elves muttered something under their breaths. Elrond cleared his throat pointedly, and Thorin was reminded sharply of himself trying to get his nephews to apologise for some prank or other.  
  
“Sorry for taking your hobbit,” the elves eventually spoke at an audible volume, though they didn't sound happy about it.  
  
“Better,” Elrond was still glaring at them. “Now stop trying to steal him.” The elves continued pouting, and Elrond sighed. “If you can behave for the rest of their visit, I'll think about those hounds you keep asking about.”  
  
“Thanks Ada!” The elves chorused, then they... disappeared, it seemed, sprinting off before they could be scolded further.  
  
“My apologies as well,” Elrond gave a slight bow. “That was Elladan and Elrohir, my sons. They seem to have developed a fascination with young Bilbo.”  
  
“Understandable,” Balin smiled gently, going into diplomat-mode. Thorin just grunted, picking Bilbo up and checking him over for injuries. “Bilbo has a habit of worming his way into people's hearts.”  
  
“Regardless, I have no intention of keeping him from you,” Elrond explained further. “I've already raised three elflings and a Dunadan. I'm not raising another child for at least another century.”  
  
“Good,” Thorin muttered. Bilbo giggled and stuffed the rest of his biscuit in his mouth. The little hobbit seemed unperturbed by the incident, which meant they could all forget about it as soon as possible.  
  
He'd have a word with the rest of the company though. Best to make sure no other elves decided to kidnap _their_ hobbit.  
  
***  
  
All of the dwarrows were huddled together, family groups relying on touch to reassure themselves. The passage over the Misty Mountains had been terrifying, and if Thorin never saw another stone giant it would be too soon. Fili and Kili were pressed into either side of him, his arms around them both. Bilbo was curled up on his lap, Thorin's nephews' arms holding him in place. The fauntling seemed perfectly content to stay right where he was though, face pressed against Thorin's neck and hands clutching his jacket.  
  
Gradually they all started drifting off to sleep. Thorin stayed awake, unable to rid his mind of the fear he'd felt when Kili and Bilbo had disappeared from sight. He'd known that this journey would be dangerous, but he'd never expected stone giants.  
  
Over by the entrance to the cave they'd found, Bofur and Bombur had settled themselves so that they could keep watch. Bifur was just beyond Thorin's feet, laying on his back but head turned to watch his cousins. Thorin could hear the soft murmur of voices, but paid little heed. He was more concerned with the fact that Bilbo's breathing hadn't quite evened out yet. His nephews had long since fallen asleep, the adrenaline having left them crashing early.  
  
“Thorin?” Bilbo's voice was quiet, almost on the cusp of being inaudible. Thorin still heard him, and hummed.  
  
“What's wrong, faunt?”  
  
“I... I'm scared.”  
  
“I know,” Thorin whispered. “It's okay to be scared. This has been a very trying journey... so many things that shouldn't have happened.”  
  
“Do you...” Bilbo trailed off, and Thorin waited. There was clearly something bothering the child. It took a few minutes before he started talking again. “Do you wish you'd left me behind?”  
  
Instead of an immediate rebuttal, Thorin took a breath. How to explain this to a child? Then he mentally shrugged. Bilbo had already proven himself intelligent enough to understand many concepts as long as the dwarrows were patient with him.  
  
“I wish that coming with us wasn't putting you in danger,” Thorin eventually answered. “You are very precious to all of us. I wish you were somewhere safe, but I don't wish that you were separate from us.”  
  
“I'm not much use though,” Bilbo pointed out sadly. “I can't even help with things.”  
  
“Don't think like that,” Thorin frowned. “You help more than you know. You're good for us. You're good for _me._ ”  
  
“What do you mean?” Bilbo asked, eyes wide as he looked up at him. Thorin sighed and glanced between his nephews. He was pretty sure they were awake now, just feigning sleep.  
  
“I haven't had many good things in my life. I love my sister, and my nephews. All of my kin. But I was resigned to this journey being bleak and joyless. Having you with us... it reminds us all of why we're doing this. We're on this journey to reclaim our home, so that our children will have something stable to come back to.” He paused, letting Bilbo think about it for a moment. “You also bring joy to us all. Thirteen is an unlucky number, but having you with us has changed things. You helped us to defeat the trolls. Although you becoming ill was not good, it convinced me to go to Rivendell, which I would not otherwise have done. Even if I had, I would not have been as trusting of Elrond if he had not already proven his worth by helping you. Believe me, mizimith, you are more precious to us all than you think, and I believe you still have a part to play before we regain our home.”  
  
Bilbo was silent after that, but cuddled closer into Thorin's chest. Thorin pressed a kiss to the top of his curly-haired head, and felt himself starting to relax as he held his three greatest treasures.  
  
Which, naturally, was when the floor opened up beneath them and they found themselves falling through darkness.  
  
***  
  
When Thorin hit the ground – or whatever it was they landed on – he had a moment of panic. Given their positions, he hadn't been able to grab hold of Bilbo as they fell. After a moment though, he saw Bifur curled around the hobbit, and turned his attention elsewhere.  
  
It was lucky he did, for almost immediately a large gang of goblins descended on them. It was chaos, and their weapons were taken far too easily before the company was shoved and prodded down a narrow walkway. Turning again, he caught sight of Bifur again, and was briefly confused by the change in the dwarf's shape. Then he realised – Bifur had shoved Bilbo into the front of his over-shirt, and had done up his coat over the top as well. It wouldn't hold up to close inspection, but for now, it was enough to keep their fauntling hidden.  
  
Thorin sent a silent prayer of thanks to Mahal as the other dwarrows seemed to understand what was happening, and as they were all thrown together in a huddle, Bifur was pushed into the centre. There was almost no way that this could end well, but they weren't going to make it easy on the vile creatures.  
  
Every minute he could keep Bilbo out of their hands, he'd count as a victory.  
  
Even so, he'd never been so pleased to see Gandalf before in his life.  
  
***  
  
This was it. He was going to die.  
  
They'd made it through Goblin Town, thanks to Gandalf's reappearance, and had sliced their way through hordes of goblins. The sunlight, even as it faded, was a welcome relief. Thorin didn't think he'd ever been so disgusted by being underground. As night had fallen, though, the wargs had come, bearing their orc riders.  
  
And now Thorin was going to die, all because he was stupid enough to think that he could take on Azog by himself. The blasted orc wasn't even going to do it himself, delegating Thorin's beheading to one of his underlings. He wouldn't go down without a fight though, and reached desperately for his sword.  
  
Thorin glanced away at his sword, then back up at the orc. To his shock, in that split-second, an arrow had embedded itself into the orc's neck. Scrabbling at it, the orc fell away.  
  
There was no time to think. Before he could react, three screaming dwarfs had seemingly materialised by his side, rushing the orcs. A swirl of blonde hair – Fili – and a flash of axes – Dwalin – tore into the orcs like they were nothing. Gloin fell to his knees and shoved Orcrist back into Thorin's hand, making sure that he wasn't helpless. Arrows flew past, from the direction it seemed Kili had managed to get to a good vantage point.  
  
“Bilbo,” Thorin whispered, suddenly terrified.  
  
There was a screech, and a shape flew overhead.  
  
“Bofur has him,” Gloin reassured him. “He's safe.”  
  
With that knowledge, Thorin let the darkness take him. Just for now.  
  
***  
  
He hadn't expected to wake up. Despite all expectations though, Thorin's eyes opened to see Gandalf leaning over him, looking relieved. That was only for a moment though, as the wizard was quickly shoved back by Fili and Kili, who dove into a hug.  
  
“Easy boys,” Thorin gasped, ribs protesting. His nephews drew back, looking worried. That wouldn't do. He clasped them both on the shoulder, nodding to them.  
  
“I'm alive. I'll heal.” That seemed to calm them, and they helped him stand. There were several hands helping actually, and patting him on the back. It seemed as though all his company needed to reassure themselves that he was all right. “Where's Bilbo?”  
  
A sudden pressure on his leg answered that. Looking down, Thorin smiled at where Bilbo was clinging to him, face pressed against his thigh. With a light grunt, he swung the fauntling up into his arms and held him close.  
  
“It's all right, mizimith,” Thorin whispered as he carded a hand through Bilbo's curls. “Gandalf fixed me up. I'm fine.”  
  
He caught the look on Gandalf's face at that – as though he was perhaps speaking too hastily – but ignored it for now. Right now nothing was more important than reassuring the littlest member of the company.  
  
“I wouldn't leave you alone,” Thorin whispered into Bilbo's ear. “You're too precious to all of us.”  
  
“Promise?” Bilbo whimpered.  
  
Thorin closed his eyes.  
  
“I promise. I'll always do whatever it takes to come back to you.”  
  
Perhaps it was a foolish thing to promise. Perhaps he'd be proven a liar the next time they came up against orcs, or goblins, or when they finally got to the mountain. It didn't matter though.  
  
The promise made Bilbo smile, and the sight of that was worth any price.


End file.
